ISTANBUL 

The Yemeni government rejected the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) announcement of a two-year “transitional phase” leading to a “referendum” on the future of the country’s south.

In a televised statement, Deputy Justice Minister Faisal al-Majidi said that the STC’s political declaration “has no legal value and does not comply with the Yemeni constitution and law.”

On Friday, Aidrous al-Zubaidi, the head of the STC, said in a televised speech that the transition would feature a “popular referendum,” to be held “under the supervision of the United Nations,” on what he described as the right of the “people of the south to self-determination.”

Al-Zubaidi did not provide details on the structure of the transitional authority, the timeline for talks with northern parties, or the practical arrangements for the referendum.

No support was given by the UN to the proposed plan.

Reacting to al-Zubaidi’s announcement, Al-Majidi said that the STC’s moves constitute “a rebellion against Yemeni legitimacy,” noting that “the council is aware that no state can be established without Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.”

He warned that “the political and field developments that have taken place in Hadhramaut will cause very serious fractures (within the southern issue).”

Meanwhile, Yemeni Shura Council member Salah Batis described al-Zubaidi’s announcement as “a rebellion against the state and its institutions.”

Batis said in a televised statement that the “constitutional declaration issued by the Southern Transitional Council is illegal and represents a rebellion against the state and its institutions.”

He added that the announcement “undermines efforts toward national consensus and a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.”

Batis stressed that the project of the so-called “State of Arab South” has no legitimacy and no place in history.

Yemen has seen an unprecedented escalation since Tuesday, after the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces took control of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra in early December. The two provinces account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory and share borders with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the same day of “pushing STC forces to carry out military operations” along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. Abu Dhabi denied the accusation.

The STC says successive Yemeni governments have marginalized southern regions politically and economically and calls for secession. Yemeni authorities reject the claim and reaffirm their commitment to the country’s unity.